News.Flash MX: Screenweaver MX Beta 3 is released.

Tips.Director: Enabling Flash Links in Director.

on getURL(me,url,target)
   gotoNetPage url,target
end  

on mouseWithin me
     if sprite(the currentSpriteNum).hitTest(the mouseLoc) = #button then
       cursor 280
     else
       cursor -1
     end if
end

on mouseLeave me
     cursor -1
end

News.Flash MX: Server Side ActionScript in ColdFusion MX vs JRun.

News.Flash MX: Yet Another Action Script Highlighter.

Bug.Flash MX: DRK Message Board Data Grid Sample Errata.

#initclip 2

/* IsNewCellClass

Don't panic, this is quite easy. Every cell gets a function,
setLabel (also setSize, but not covered here). In our case,
          setLabel checks for the "X" and displays if it's there.
*/

function IsNewCellClass()
{
        this.check._visible = false;
}

Object.registerClass("IsNewCell", IsNewCellClass);
IsNewCellClass.prototype = new MovieClip();

IsNewCellClass.prototype.setLabel = function(obj)
{
        this.check._visible = (obj=="X");
}

#endinitclip

Examples.Flash MX: Creating Dynamic Chart with Flash Charting Components.

Here is the dynamic chart example from my Singapore User group Seminar.

Steps:

• Create a text file with the following text and name it chartData1.txt. I'm using &name= value& syntax instead of usual name1=value1&name2=value2 for better readability (LoadVars will ignore the extra '&' and the line brakes)
  

  &label=Singapore,US,India&
  &value=1240,780,360&
  &dataName=Page Views&
  &ChartTitle=Stats for Arul's Blog&
  &XAxisTitle=Country of origin&
  &YAxisTitle=Number of Visits&

• Drag and drop a Pie Chart component, name it myPieChart and increase the span to 2 frames in the time line
• Add another layer on top and create a shape in the same color as the chart to hide it in the first frame (It will hide the chart until the dynamic chart data is loaded)
• Add a static text in the same layer as the shape and type "Loading Chart Data..." to show while loading
• Add another frame, name it actions and copy & paste the following code

//Keep it in the first frame until chartData is loaded
stop();
_global.chartLoader = new LoadVars();
chartLoader.chartData = new DataProviderClass();
chartLoader.onLoad = parseChartData;
chartLoader.load("chartData1.txt");
function parseChartData(loadSuccess) {
        if (loadSuccess) {
                with (chartLoader) {
                        label = label.split(",");
                        value = value.split(",");
                        for (var i = 0; i<label.length; i++) {
                                var item = {value:(Number(value[i]))};
                                item[dataName] = label[i];
                                chartData.addItem(item);
                        }
                }
        }
        //applyChartData(myLineChart);
        //applyChartData(myBarChart);
        applyChartData(myPieChart);
        //Now go to frame 2 to show the chart
        gotoAndStop(2);
}
function applyChartData(Chart) {
        with (Chart) {
                setDataProvider(chartLoader.chartData);
                setLabelSource(chartLoader.dataName);
                setChartTitle(chartLoader.ChartTitle);
                setXAxisTitle(chartLoader.XAxisTitle);
                setYAxisTitle(chartLoader.YAxisTitle);
        }
}

It will result in the following graph

Once it is up and running you can dynamically generate the data using server side scripting instead of static text file.

Examples.Flash MX: DataGrid Component Example.

The following example is just to show how simple it is to use the data grid component. I've created it by

• dragging and dropping a data grid component and naming it as my_dg.
• adding a dynamic text box and naming it as my_txt
• adding the following actionscript in frame 1.

my_dg.setColumns("Name", "Purity");
my_data =  [
	{
	Name:"Arul", Purity:90, 
	Description:"very much human"
	},
	{
	Name:"GOD", Purity:100, 
	Description:"the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe"
	}
	];
my_dg.setDataProvider(my_data);
my_dg.setChangeHandler("dgChange");
function dgChange() {
        var sel = my_dg.getSelectedItem();
        my_txt.text = sel.Name+" is "+sel.Description+". He is "+sel.Purity+"% pure";
}

Which resulted in the following

Update.Arul's Blog: I'm back.

Update.Arul's Blog: Not Feeling Well.

I didn't take it seriously, but my family forced me to take a medical test. So I've undergone the tests including X-ray. I've been told to take rest for 2 days. With the given tablets I should be alright otherwise I need to under go other tests.

Extension.Dreamweaver MX: Change Case.

Yesterday after finishing the change case ActionScript for flash, I thought why not to port it as an extension for dreamweaver?

Because Dreamweaver supports javascript for extensibility which is also an ECMA script like ActionScript.

After some search, I found an article written by Bob Berry on "Creating a simple Commands extension for Dreamweaver" in which he expanined how to create change case command which can convert strings to either uppercase or lowercase.

Also Hawa Edelstein already created an extension for the same.

Based on these two codes and my "Title Case", "Sentense Case" and "Toggle Case" code, I've come up with this extension which can change the case of selected text to one of the following,

• Sentence case - Capitalizes the first letter of the word in the selected sentences.
• Lowercase - Changes all selected text to lowercase letters.
• Uppercase - Changes all selected text to capital letters.
• Title Case - Capitalizes the first letter of each word in the selection
• tOGGLE cASE - Changes all uppercase letters to lowercase in the selection and vice versa.

Code.Flash MX: String.changeCase(Title || Sentence || Toggle).

ActionScript Standard Library project is really picking up. For those who are hearing it for the first time, the ActionScript Standard Library is a collection of ActionScript classes and libraries that aims to create and provide a standard library of functionality to ActionScript. ASL is an Open Source initiative by Mike Chambers, the community manager of macromedia.

Currently 33 developers (including me) started putting in their efforts. If you want to get updated with the latest development about that project you can visit the forum and/or subscribe to the mailing list.

We are going to start with extending String, Date, Math Objects and then proceed to other complex Objects.

Here are some of my ideas to extend the String object.

String.prototype.toTitleCase = function() {
        var str = "";
        var prevWhite = true;
        for (var i = 0; i<this.length; i++) {
                str += prevWhite ? this.charAt(i).toUpperCase() : this.charAt(i).toLowerCase();
                prevWhite = this.charCodeAt(i)<=32;
        }
        return str;
};

trace("message to the universe of girls: i'm having a mechanical life here :(".toTitleCase());
//outputs 'Message To The Universe Of Girls: I'm Having A Mechanical Life Here :('

String.prototype.toSentenceCase = function() {
        var str = "";
        var SentenceBrake = true;
        for (var i = 0; i<this.length; i++) {
                str += SentenceBrake ? this.charAt(i).toUpperCase() : this.charAt(i).toLowerCase();
                SentenceBrake = (SentenceBrake && this.charCodeAt(i)<=32) || "\r\n.,?:;!".indexOf(this.charAt(i)) != -1;
        }
        return str;
};

trace("i'm searching for my soul mate. if you feel you are the one (at least try to feel like that)".toSentenceCase());
// outputs 'I'm searching for my soul mate. If you feel you are the one (at least try to feel like that)'

String.prototype.toToggleCase = function() {
        var str = "";
        for (var i = 0; i<this.length; i++) {
                str += this.charCodeAt(i)<=90 ? this.charAt(i).toLowerCase() : this.charAt(i).toUpperCase();
        }
        return str;
};

trace("i'M wAITING fOR yOU, dO dROP mE a mAIL".toToggleCase());
//outputs 'I'm Waiting For You, Do Drop Me A Mail'

String.prototype.toSingleSpace = function() {
        var str = "";
        var prevWhite = true;
        for (var i = 0; i<this.length; i++) {
                var code = this.charCodeAt(i);
                white = code<=32;
                if (white) {
                        if (!prevWhite && (code == 9 || code == 32)) {
                                str += " ";
                        }
                } else {
                        str += this.charAt(i);
                }
                prevWhite = white;
        }
        return str;
};

trace("I     have      waited for 	you so	\rl o     n     g \n !".toSingleSpace());
//outputs 'I have waited for you so l o n g !'
//note:-
//   the text used in the examples is just for fun, 
//   should not be taken seriously [except by the willing girl(s!?)]

Events.Flash MX: User Group Session in Singapore.

FlashMove's Singapore user group is going to organize a seminar on 3D Tools, Optimising Movies and Using Components.

I'm one going to be of the speakers covering the following topics

• Understanding Components
• Putting components in to real use
  • Building dynamic graphs using charting components
  • Building dynamic tree navigation using FTree component
• Making Flash to Speak - Creating a light weight talking application in flash
• Creating interactive 3D text in Director 8.5

Event Date: November 9, 2002
Start Time: 2:00 pm
End Time: 4:00 pm
Venue: Temasek Polytechnic. LT 25 Design School Ground Level
Cost: Free
Registration: http://www.flashmove.com/sg/

If you are in Singapore, hope to see you there :)
For others may be I can post the articles and give the source code for download

footnote:-
Also check the recent entries and feel free to add your comments. I need your comments to improve this blog